Judaism

Between Yesterday and Tomorrow

Swiss-German theologian Kung planned this massive synthesis of Christian history and systematic theology as a sequel to his On Being Christian (1976) and as a companion to Judaism (Crossroad, 1992). Ever the Catholic Church's "faithful critic," Kung displays a dazzling breadth of scholarship. Professor of ecumenical theology at the University of Tubingen, he bases his approach on five historical paradigm shifts: Jewish apocalyptic Christianity, early church ecumenism, the Roman system in the medieval papal church, the Reformation, and modern democracy. He notes dominant influences in each, presenting his convictions on the essence of Christianity and moving toward a polycentrism where Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical traditions are not mutually exclusive. Over 30 diagrams and many stimulating "questions for the future" sidebars are included. Not all readers will accept the views of this Vatican II peritus (nor did the Vatican in 1973). But the work is a remarkable achievement for a church always in need of reform and reformers. Recommended for all theology collections

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This is an excellent book by a Christian author. It describes the evolution of Judaism from its beginnings while carefully balancing biblical accounts with historical possibilities. It explains the historical background and the possible motivations behind the compilation of the Jewish bible. It sheds light on the figure of Jesus from many angles. It follows the development of Judaism into modern times. Throughout the book, the differences to and conflicts with Christianity and to a lesser degree with Islam are discussed in a very objective way. The book considers modern contributions to the subject from the fields of literary critique, archaeology and sociology. It is definitely a book that people who literally believe in the words of the bible should read.